How AI is Changing Higher Ed Email Marketing

Higher ed email marketing campaigns send thousands of emails every year—to prospective students, current students, alumni, and donors.

But with inboxes more crowded than ever, how can universities improve higher ed email marketing to make sure their emails actually get opened and read?

Enter artificial intelligence (AI).

From automated segmentation to predictive personalization, AI has the potential to revolutionize higher ed email marketing.

But is it the game-changer many believe it to be, or just another overhyped trend?

In this episode of The Higher Ed Marketer podcast, we sat down with Ashley Budd (Senior Marketing Director at Cornell University) and Dayana Kibilds (VP at Ologie)—co-authors of Mailed It!—to explore how AI is shaping the future of email marketing in higher education.

How AI is Changing Higher Ed Email Marketing

AI tools are everywhere in marketing today, from ChatGPT-assisted content creation to predictive analytics that forecast student engagement.

But when it comes to higher ed email marketing, the real question is…

How can AI be used effectively without losing the human touch?

As Ashley Budd pointed out:

“If what your variables are—the difference in this email from student to student—is helpful to them, great. If we’re just doing it for the sake of showing them that we know them, we need to be careful.”

This highlights a key challenge in AI-driven email marketing.

When personalization is used simply to showcase how much data you have on a recipient, it can easily cross the line from helpful to invasive.

Instead of making a prospective student or donor feel known, hyper-personalized emails can make them feel more like they are being watched.

AI should help institutions send more relevant and timely emails—but without thoughtful strategy, these messages can feel robotic, impersonal, or even unsettling.

The goal is not to prove how much you know about the reader, but to use that knowledge to serve them better.

Personalization in Higher Ed Email Marketing: AI Done Right

One of the most common ways AI is used in email marketing is through personalization—but what does “good” personalization really look like?

Many institutions fall into the trap of focusing on predicting a recipient’s preferences.

This often means relying on past behavior to guess what they might want next.

While this can sometimes be helpful, it can also backfire.

When a student receives an email referencing a webpage they visited once or an event they casually explored, it can feel less like a helpful suggestion and more like they’re being tracked.

Instead, the more effective approach is to anticipate their needs by understanding where they are in their journey and providing content that naturally aligns with what they are likely thinking about at that moment.

Dayana Kibilds explained:

“I used to be really intimidated by personalization, thinking it had to be hyper-individualized—like Netflix recommendations. But if you write an email that acknowledges the student’s context (exam season, application deadlines, etc.), it feels personal without requiring complex segmentation.”

For example, instead of sending a prospective student an email with hyper-specific details about their browsing history, an institution could recognize that it’s the time of year when high school juniors start thinking about campus visits and send a well-timed message with a guide to making the most of a tour.

When personalization is thoughtfully applied, it strengthens the relationship between the institution and the recipient.

But when it’s used as a way to show off data collection capabilities, it can make prospective students feel like they’re being monitored rather than supported.

AI should serve as a tool to offer relevant, timely information—not to make a student feel like an algorithm is following their every click.

How AI Can Improve Higher Ed Email Automation Without Losing Engagement

Many universities use automated email flows for admissions, alumni engagement, and fundraising.

While automation saves time, it can sometimes result in emails that feel cold, impersonal, or irrelevant.

Ashley Budd noted:

“The problem with automation is that a lot of schools take a ‘set it and forget it’ approach. AI should help improve workflows, but email needs human oversight to stay relevant.”

Where AI Helps:

• Identifying optimal send times based on recipient behavior
• Automating follow-ups to incomplete applications or donations
• Predicting which subject lines will boost open rates

Where AI Could Be Counter-Productive:

• Sending overly robotic or generic responses
• Over-reliance on pre-written AI-generated content without human editing
• Failing to update email flows based on real-time engagement data

AI should be used to enhance the marketer’s ability to engage, not as a replacement for thoughtful strategy.

AI + Human Creativity = Email Success

AI is not a silver bullet, but it’s also not just hype. Used correctly, AI can help universities:

• Automate repetitive tasks and free up time for strategy
• Personalize emails based on student behavior (not just their first name)
• Optimize subject lines, send times, and engagement tracking

However, AI should never replace human creativity.

The best higher ed email marketing strategies will always be those that feel authentic, timely, and valuable.

AI should be a tool to help marketers do more of what they do best—not replace them.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear Ashley and Dayana’s full insights? Tune in to Episode #198 of The Higher Ed Marketer podcast now!

Is Your Email Marketing AI-Ready?

AI is transforming higher ed email marketing, but technology alone won’t improve engagement, conversions, or ROI.

Success comes from strategy, execution, and continuous optimization—and that’s where Caylor Solutions can help.

We don’t just offer advice—we also plan, implement, and analyze higher ed email marketing campaigns that drive results.

From crafting high-converting email sequences to leveraging AI for personalization and automation, our team ensures every email is optimized for engagement and impact.

✔ Strategic planning: Build a data-driven, AI-enhanced email marketing strategy.
✔ Tactical execution: Implement seamless email workflows, automation, and segmentation.
✔ Performance analysis: Continuously test, refine, and optimize campaigns for maximum ROI.

Whether you need a full email marketing overhaul or expert guidance on AI integration, we can help you execute a plan that works.

Contact Caylor Solutions today.

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Featured image via cornell.edu